Tune out or delete AFM

[NmE0208]

Im pretty sure this topic has been beat to death. I have a few more questions that werent brought up in the threads i found. Main questions are:
Whats the main difference between the two? Why go through a delete when u can tune it out? Unless you plan to cam in the future i can understand that. But any other reason? Is it harmful to tune it out as opposed to removal of all the hardware? Thanks in advance guys. I could really use some advice thank you

[Slizzo]

Im pretty sure this topic has been beat to death. I have a few more questions that werent brought up in the threads i found. Main questions are:
Whats the main difference between the two? Why go through a delete when u can tune it out? Unless you plan to cam in the future i can understand that. But any other reason? Is it harmful to tune it out as opposed to removal of all the hardware? Thanks in advance guys. I could really use some advice thank you

The parts are still weak even though they're not being used (lifters). So a delete removes all the AFM hardware in favor of LS3 and other LS family parts that are less known for failure.

I had AFM tuned out for the 6 years I had the car. Never had issues with it, never dropped a lifter.

[G8V8]

Turning off AFM in the tunes do nothing to get the DoD lifters out of the motor. These lifters are heavier than normal lifters and have rpm restrictions.

[NmE0208]

Is it possible to tune out the afm and upgrade the lifters? Will pushrods need to be changed also? I haven't ripped open th engine yet. I've done similar work on the ls1's. But which lifters are u guys talking about? In the heads? Or the ones in th center under intake? I appreciate the help guys. This afm is super annoying with an exhaust

[TooManyHobbies]

You have to pull the heads to change the lifters. At that point you might as well put a better cam in. The cam on these stock is puny.

[G8 GT V8]

Is it possible to tune out the afm and upgrade the lifters? Will pushrods need to be changed also? I haven't ripped open th engine yet. I've done similar work on the ls1's. But which lifters are u guys talking about? In the heads? Or the ones in th center under intake? I appreciate the help guys. This afm is super annoying with an exhaust
Lifters ride on the cam shaft. The heads have rocker arms (no lifters in the heads). The L76 lifters are the weak point. You can tune out the AFM and swap your lifters, but if you go to all that trouble, might as well spend a bit more and put a better/bigger cam in it and gain 40 to 50 more rear wheel streetable horsepower.

[NmE0208]

Lifters ride on the cam shaft. The heads have rocker arms (no lifters in the heads). The L76 lifters are the weak point. You can tune out the AFM and swap your lifters, but if you go to all that trouble, might as well spend a bit more and put a better/bigger cam in it and gain 40 to 50 more rear wheel streetable horsepower.
Your right, im confusing them for the rocker arms :facepalm:. Need to do some research now for a daily driver cam. Thanks

[NmE0208]

Thanks guys! I really appreciate the help. :cheers:

[G8 GT V8]

Investigate the "Little Lunati" cam that Rick Crawford recommends. It seems be very street friendly with awesome performance.

[Grifter7]

Hey Guys,

Need some help here. My car is in the shop right now, possibly with a busted lifter on piston 7. If that's the case I'm wondering what you guys recommend I do.

This is my daily driver with no other mods as of yet. Down the road I want to do things like exhaust/CAI/tune, but keep the car manageable and reliable. With that in mind, should I just replace the faulty lifter? Replace all the lifters while they're in there? Do a DOD delete (does this require a cam)? Do a cam swap as well?

If I remove the AFM lifters do I have to do a tune right away? Does a cam swap need a tune right away?

I don't have tons of cash right now for upgrades, but I also want to do what's best for my long term goals. Can you guys suggest a path forward?

Sorry for rambling, this just came up on me quick and I need some good advice.

Thanks,
Grifter

[-Ray-]

It's best to do a cam swap. Yours may be damaged anyway. Also, replace oil pump. When a lifter dies it sends its little bits through the engine. The oil pump hates this.
This also means all new LS7 lifters.

[Grifter7]

Thanks for the response Ray.

I have a bunch of questions for you guys:

1) Which cam should I go with (good power, but still good daily driver reliability with limited other mods needed, and cheap if possible)?
2) Does the cam swap need a tune? (and if so, does it need it right away, or can I drive it for a bit)
3) Does the cam swap need different injectors or fuel pump?
4) How much should I expect to pay to do the cam, lifters, pump, and DOD delete? For parts? For labor?
5) I'm in Canada. Does anyone know of any good parts sites (for the types of parts mentioned) that either ship cheap to Canada or are located in Canada? Is going through the dealer best?
6) If I do remove the AFM lifters, does the tune need to change to remove the AFM?
7) How much hp gain would this give me approximately?
8) My car is currently at a 3rd party mechanic. Is this something I should have done at the GM dealership?

I'm sure this info exists somewhere on the forums, and I've looked, but it all seems to be spread out, and since this just happened so fast I haven't been able to do my usual amount of research. If you guys could help me out with some of these questions I would greatly appreciate it!

[G8 GT V8]

Thanks for the response Ray.

I have a bunch of questions for you guys:

1) Which cam should I go with (good power, but still good daily driver reliability with limited other mods needed, and cheap if possible)?
You could go with a stock LS3 or LS6 cam (likely the cheapest options with good reliability, but not the greatest horsepower gain compared to other cam options), Livernois L92 Stage 1C, or research the "little Lunati" that Rich Crawford (G8-4-speed) recommends
2) Does the cam swap need a tune? (and if so, does it need it right away, or can I drive it for a bit)
Definitely needs a tune. Best to do it right away. You will need to deactivate your AFM (DOD) in the tune
3) Does the cam swap need different injectors or fuel pump?
Nope, same injectors and fuel pump with the cams I mentioned. If you went with a really huge cam and gears, you might need more a better fuel delivery system, but with the ones I mentioned, you will be fine with stock.
4) How much should I expect to pay to do the cam, lifters, pump, and DOD delete? For parts? For labor?
Average values are roughly $1500 for parts and $1500 for labor (USD). Again, this is a rough average. Some have likely done this cheaper and some have likely paid more.
5) I'm in Canada. Does anyone know of any good parts sites (for the types of parts mentioned) that either ship cheap to Canada or are located in Canada? Is going through the dealer best?
I would check with Greg Was at Pace Performance.
6) If I do remove the AFM lifters, does the tune need to change to remove the AFM?
Yes, as noted above. You'll need to tune out the AFM (DOD).
7) How much hp gain would this give me approximately?
With the Livernois stage 1C and the "little Lunati", expect to gain 40 to 50 rear wheel horsepower
8) My car is currently at a 3rd party mechanic. Is this something I should have done at the GM dealership?
GM dealership would likely charge you more. They probably would not do the tuning on it either, so 3rd party mechanic that knows his stuff would likely be your best bet, but it wouldn't hurt to at least discuss it with the GM dealership to see what they say about it.

I'm sure this info exists somewhere on the forums, and I've looked, but it all seems to be spread out, and since this just happened so fast I haven't been able to do my usual amount of research. If you guys could help me out with some of these questions I would greatly appreciate it!

If you're going to do a cam swap, you'll want to have some free flowing exhaust (headers) and cold air intake to get the most out of the upgrade.

[travis gore]

1. Stay with a small cam using the stock stall
2.yes right away
3. No
4. 2k no labor 4k labor & tune
5. I bought most of my parts from the dealer but I know people :). Pace performance can help. Not sure about shipping to Canada
6. Yes
7. 50-75
8. Maybe better off with a shop that has a tuner as well

[-Ray-]

You can go cheaper if you go with a cam designed for AFM. you maintain the same valley plate.
Can you do the work yourself? We have plenty of support on the forum
If exhaust is stock a AFM cam is your best bet. New Era in Rochester, New York has one. Rick Crawford may have one as well.

[GRRR8GT]

Where you at? Around Edmonton the rates are $125-150 an hour so most of the numbers quoted are going to be too light unless your 3rd part mechanic is reasonable. The dealers will be worse not because they charge more but they will charge way more hours. Greg will ship to Canada but there is no cheap shipping up to here. A tune in Edmonton will run you about $300 minimum with half of that wages and the other half tune license.